Australian Catholics and the development of professional social services in Australia

Abstract

Australian social work lacks a reading of its history that places it within the social reforms and movements of the 19th century. Australian social work historians have concentrated on professional associations and ignored social activists who pre-date professional social work. The effect of this concentration on professional social work in Australia has been to write women activists, including religious women, out of the few social welfare histories written about Australia.

This paper sets out the contributions to professional social services in Australia by the Australian Catholic Church which has been a major provider of social services for over 150 years. The Church is purported to be the largest provider of personal social services in Australia. The paper outlines the contribution of Catholic social services in Australia for personal social services including family welfare services and social justice and advocacy issues.